12 Rounds

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12 Rounds

PG-13

2009

1h 48m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

31%

Tomatometer

71 Reviews

45%

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50,000+ Ratings

When New Orleans cop Danny Fisher (John Cena) prevents a brilliant thief from successfully carrying out his latest heist, the thief's girlfriend is accidentally killed. Hungry for revenge, the criminal mastermind breaks out of prison and kidnaps Danny's fiancée. To save her, Danny must successfully navigate his way through an elaborate series of tasks and puzzles, or else watch the love of his life die.

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Critics Consensus

Energetic but empty, 12 Rounds' preposterous plot hurtles along at a rapid pace, but can't disguise the derivative script.

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Rob Nelson

Variety

09/01/2009

Heavy on stunts but light on plausibility, humor, surprise, visual ingenuity or psychological depth.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

06/02/2009

2/5

Apart from the palpably improbable storyline, Harlan shows a massive disregard for characterisation, and so much bang-bang editing that you scarcely know where you are.

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Genevieve Harrison

Empire Magazine

05/29/2009

3/5

This is a welcome throwback for audiences raised on '90s action flicks - what they used to call "a pulse-pounding roller-coaster thrill-ride of a movie".

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

12/02/2023

1.5/4

While the movie offers plenty of coherent movie violence, it lacks innovation or a charismatic lead.

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Carson Timar

ClapperCast

03/22/2022

12 Rounds has a real sense of urgency even if it gets boring by the end

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Kevin Carr

7M Pictures

09/21/2010

3/5

as a fast-food action director, Renny Harlin still delivers a fun movie

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Stephen C

@bob25009 07/12/2025

Success in 1 hour and 48 minutes.

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Liam D

@Mediawatcher2003 09/14/2024

There are some thrilling sequences but action veteran Renny Harlin (Mindhunters, Exorcist: The Beginning) is asleep at the wheel and John Cena (Ready to Rumble) gives a thankless but mediocre performance

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Mark C

@RT48830956 08/29/2024

II kept hitting fast-forward on my remote control through 60% of the movie .....The story was just too hard to watch ...

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Cive L

@RT17004579 07/12/2024

I loved it and did not expect to. I am a fan of 80s and 90s action movies and this reminds me of these so much with the shitty dialogue and uptight feds. Cena does most of his own stunts and the car chases are not CGI. Turn off your brain and enjoy it.

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05/05/2024

Better than you think, but still just another action flick to pop on before you sleep. Still, love John Cena in this! The story and “games” played are actually interesting but the ending is whatever. Just suspend your belief and it’s fine, this is during the Super Cena era so of course he’ll do ridiculous stuff here.

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Sedale S

@sedale143 05/05/2024

Better than you think, but still just another action flick to pop on before you sleep. Still, love John Cena in this! The story and “games” played are actually interesting but the ending is whatever. Just suspend your belief and it’s fine, this is during the Super Cena era so of course he’ll do ridiculous stuff here.

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Synopsis

When New Orleans cop Danny Fisher (John Cena) prevents a brilliant thief from successfully carrying out his latest heist, the thief's girlfriend is accidentally killed. Hungry for revenge, the criminal mastermind breaks out of prison and kidnaps Danny's fiancée. To save her, Danny must successfully navigate his way through an elaborate series of tasks and puzzles, or else watch the love of his life die.

Director: Renny Harlin
Producer: Mark Gordon, Josh McLaughlin
Screenwriter: Daniel Kunka
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Buena Vista Television, Mark Gordon Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Violence|Intense Sequences of Action)
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 27, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.2M
Runtime: 1h 48m